GCC basketball advances to Vaquero Classic final

Glendale Vaqueros use big runs for 82-62 win over Cuyamaca College.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — When a team can double its score while keeping the opponent scoreless and then follow that up with another double-digit burst, it usually leads to victory, and that is exactly what happened in the Glendale Community College men's basketball team's championship semifinal matchup against Cuyamaca College as part of the Vaquero Classic Tournament on Friday evening.

The host Vaqueros had first-half scoring runs of 12 points and then 10 to seize control of the game, leading to a 82-62 victory and a place in the championship game at 5 p.m. Saturday on the same floor.

“I thought we guarded in spurts pretty well and that is what kind of gave us the momentum and the lead,” Glendale coach Brian Beauchemin said.

Glendale (5-5) saw the visitors turn an early tie at 12 into a 18-12 advantage halfway through the first half. After that, the Vaqueros went on a 12-0 run to double their tally and turn the six-point hole into a six-point lead. The surge was led by big man Gor Plavchyan, who had nine of his 13 first-half points in that span. The sophomore got it started with two lay-ins, assisted by Alex Bullock and Dion Nelson respectively. The 6-foot-7 freshman then made it six in a row with an offensive rebound and put-back, tying the game at 18.

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“Our whole game plan was to run,” Beauchemin said, “especially our post guys. I didn’t think that was something [Cuyamaca] would have an easy time with, so we got out pretty good on that.”

Soon after, with 6:34 left, Vaquero Emerson Castaneda sank a three-pointer to give his team the lead for good.

Plavchyan followed with a three-pointer of his own, and Glendale led, 24-18.

Plavchyan finished as the game’s leading scorer with 20 points while shooting a scorching nine of 14 from the field. He also led everyone on the boards, finishing with 12 rebounds.

“I think we got seven points in that little spurt on the straight run, we call it the post-run, so that kind of ‘boom’ bounced us up a little bit then we kind of hung on,” Beauchemin said.